Trump To Polygraph His Own Staff

Since Wednesday afternoon, when the New York Times published an incendiary op-ed by an anonymous senior Trump administration official—one in which the author admits to “working diligently from within to frustrate parts of [the president’s] agenda and his worst inclinations”—the White House has been in a panicked hunt for its author.

The op-ed could scarcely have come at a worse time for the White House, where hackles were already raised over the contents of Bob Woodward’s newest book, Fear, which paints a portrait of an unstable president out of his intellectual depth and surrounded to some degree by aides who have to work day and night to prevent him from engaging in reckless and destructive behavior.

In order to track down the members of what the Times op-ed termed the “steady state”—that is, senior aides who keep in check a president they view as erratic but whom they are enabling in order to achieve their own policy objectives—Senator Rand Paul recently raised the prospect of subjecting everyone in the White House who holds a security clearance to a polygraph examination in order to root out leakers—even those who share unclassified information.

We have a combined 30-plus years of experience handling issues surrounding the polygraph, including past congressional testimony on the topic. Relying upon that experience, we can say with considerable confidence that Sen. Paul’s proposal is ridiculous, completely counterproductive and sets a dangerous precedent.

Let’s make one thing absolutely clear: The polygraph is not a lie-detector test. It does not determine if you are telling the truth. The examiner reviewing the readings from the polygraph cannot determine if you are telling the truth. No matter how much Hollywood might try to convince you otherwise, the polygraph is not a mechanized version of truth serum.

The polygraph is merely a device that evaluates various physiological reactions your body makes when answering questions. It measures your heart rate, respiration and perspiration, among other things. Examiners are trained how to “read between the lines” in terms of what those measurements may suggest about the truthfulness of your answers. If their interpretation of the readings suggests deception, the examiners are further trained in how to coax individuals into subsequently divulging more information in order to “put their mind at ease” so that their reactions will be lessened. Polygraph examiners are skillful and trained interrogators, nothing more and nothing less.

As part of our law practice, we represent contractors and federal employees working across the intelligence and law enforcement communities who have run into problems with the polygraph. We routinely have to address the fallout of alleged “admissions” made by our clients during polygraph sessions and which are subsequently used as the basis for personnel or security clearance proceedings.

There are two primary circumstances in which the federal government commonly uses polygraph examinations: one is for the security clearance-screening of individuals being considered for access to classified information (most agencies using polygraphs deal with Sensitive Compartmented Information, some of the government’s most sensitive secrets); and the other is in a more narrow situation where specific allegations of misconduct have been levied against an existing employee or contractor. In both situations, the polygraph is often just one of several investigative tools used to gather relevant and material information.

It is virtually unheard of to do what Sen. Paul is suggesting: submitting entire offices, departments or agencies to a categorical polygraph screening merely to root out a “mole,” and it would undoubtedly be counterproductive.

Moreover, there is no reason to believe that it would even work as intended. History is littered with actual moles and spies working for years within the U.S. government despitebeing subjected to polygraph examinations. Aldrich Ames and Ana Belen Montes, convicted spies who committed espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and Cuba, respectively, were able to “pass” polygraph examinations on multiple occasions during their careers in the government. The Department of Justice has itself argued before the Supreme Court that polygraph evidence should be inadmissible in court due to its inaccuracy. Government polygraph experts also acknowledge the existence of false positives (innocent people suggesting guilt) and false negatives (guilty people displaying innocence), calling into question any obtained results.

It is certainly possible that such a broad polygraph screening would find some leakers. People inevitably crack under pressure, and it is plausible that some subjects would admit to leaking information. But there is no particular scientific basis or reason to believe that it would be the actual leakers the screening was designed to find.

In the meantime, the entire charade would severely disrupt White House operations and morale, especially if certain senior individuals— such as Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Kellyanne Conway and John Kelly, to name a few—were exempted from the screening (or any punishment for admissions they might make during it).

The president routinely denounces the ongoing Russia probe led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as a “witch hunt.” But a broad polygraph screening of the White House would truly be a “witch hunt.” Yes, it might find some peripheral “witches,” but would be unlikely to locate the true perpetrators, and in the meantime, it will have been an incredible misuse of resources.

Humanity has always found the idea of a tool that compels people to be honest compelling. It’s no coincidence that Wonder Woman, who wields a “lasso of truth,” was created by William Moulton Marston, a man who invented an early prototype of the polygraph. But treating the latter like it’s the former is pure fantasy.

Well, I think polygraphs would be a wise option! I find it pathetic that those who are SUPPOSED to help our President, no matter WHO that is, are betraying THIS President left & right. I never thought I’d live to see the day this would happen. While a LOT of us disliked Obama, no way would we have treated him to the hatred & disdain that President Trump is subjected to on a daily basis. By treating him the way they are, they are subjecting our nation to world wide ridicule, & giving subtle hints to our enemies that they can come in & take over. We all KNEW that Mr. Trump had a lot to learn about being the President, but millions of us were willing to give him the chance to learn. And, the majority of us did NOT want Hilary & Bill back in the White House, so opted to go with the unknown candidate. He’s kept a LOT of his promises, & no matter how hard Obama is trying to take credit for the economy, he had nothing to do with Mr. Trump’s success. We NEED to put a stop to the leaks, & the lies, coming out of the White House. While not actual treason, it IS treasonous to the whole country.

We just learned that all of Barack Obama’s employees were given these tests. Funny that you guys never said anything about that. We continue to see two sets of rules. One for Democrats/Liberals and Republican/Conservatives. These people who are giving all this “info” are probably from the justice department where we have already seen so much bias and illegal actions.

I think if the President followed thru on the polygraph it would put the fear of god in the ones that did this we know that for sure there is spy in the White House and him
Or her needs to be weeded out by any means possiable

Hopefully, Rand Paul does not get away with doing the lie detector tests. If he does, then everyone in Congress should have to take one too and those idiots don’t want to do that, it would show how many liars and cheats are running the country. Trump has dementia and going into it quickly. All of you in government are only in for yourselves.

I strongly feel President Trump should do that. In fact, any person who appears before congress or any congressional committee should be hooked up to a polygraph. It might not be 100% foolproof but at least it might scare some of those liars into telling the truth for a change.

No American citizen should be FORCED by Trump UNLESS TRUMP himself takes one first! And this will be VERY interesting to see IF he will take it or not! If he refuses then no one can deny HE MUST HAVE skeletons in HIS closet!

I must admit that I did not read this slowly and thoroughly, but I am reading a subject line, “Trump to polygraph his own staff”, but the article says it was SUGGESTED to do so by RAND PAUL. Then, the picture is of President Trump looking down and to the side, unsmiling, frowning, and serious as if HE said this and it’s a done deal. This is totally misleading. It’s bent-out-of-shape shoddy reporting as usual. And you newspeople WONDER why NOBODY trusts you, believes you, or RESPECTS you. Get a grip. If Senator Paul suggested this, the REPORT that Senator Paul has made this suggestion. This is typical made-up information to lead people to the conclusion the WRITER wants, to incite , excite, infuriate even, to see things the way the WRITER/press wants them to be viewed. I hope some day this reporter will have lies spread against him and his family, his company, his community of like-minded people so he/she can see how unjust, mean, just plain WRONG this tactic is. Shame on you!

Glad to hear it, everyone in the administration should be tested. Then everyone in the FBI, CIA, NSA, should have their security clearance pulled until they pass a lie detector test. And also pull all former employees and don’t allow any one to keep that clearance.

A polygraph test may not be one of the best things to do BUT does anyone have any suggestions ?
Out President has a TRAITOR problem and the people he works with have NO backbone and want to just leave things as they are collect there paycheck and scam money and be left alone. Liberals have made puppets out of the people and now everyone wants but do not want to give. Obama has divided the parties and the races so all they do is FIGHT and HATE and none stop and think about what they are doing they just do it right or wrong. Media is saying whatever they can ageist Trump and trying to destroy the GREAT THINGS HE HAS & WILL DO FOR NO LOGICAL REASON other than he is NOT CROOK like them and can not be bought !!!!

I pray the person/persons who are responsible for this are caught….I would also give the media the test could be one of them that wrote it to just waste time and our ta money to have every person given the test. remember CNN NYT are controlled by the democrats and socors and socialist control them.

There are many people who can be lying/deceptive and still pass a lie detector test with flying colors. There are many innocent people who can be telling the absolute truth and “fail” a lie detector test.

The test does not detect lies, it detects physical reactions to stress, and just having to take the test can cause many people to have those physical reactions, that are “interpreted” by an examiner in a very subjective manner. A totally innocent and truthful subject can be stressed and fail the test, and a pathological liar can be conditioned or trained to lie like a rug during a test yet still pass with ease.

The test is only of value in aggregate with other tests, witness statements, interpretation by multiple examiners and hard or very strong circumstantial evidence.

In other words, a stand-alone lie detector examination is pretty useless, and this is why lie detector results are not admissible as legal evidence, and more often than not are inadmissible in court/legal proceedings.

In my opinion, this would be an attempt to bully people into failing the test solely due to being stressed, or to refuse taking the test due to being fearful of failing it. Anybody who fails or refuses the test will most likely automatically be considered to be guilty by the president and will feel his wrath.

Quote: “Since Wednesday afternoon, when the New York Times published an incendiary op-ed by an anonymous senior Trump administration official—one in which the author admits to “working diligently from within to frustrate parts of [the president’s] agenda and his worst inclinations”—the White House has been in a panicked hunt for its author.” If the New York Times is being truthful, this op-ed is very worrisome because it states that there is a cabal trying to undermine the President. The cabal would be against the tax cut, against the possibility of peace with North Korea, against the possibility of peace with Russia, against securing the border, etc etc etc. Luckily for America the cabal has been singularly unsuccessful.

You claim White House is in “Panicked mode”. No real evidence of panic by WH actions only your allegation.
You endorse Bob Woodward’s latest book as the definitive truth of chaos in the WH. Woodward has had a long reputation of slinging out statements, accusations and the like based on anonymous sources. Do you expect all or most individuals to accept your endorsement of BS Slinging Bob?
You are correct that only a skilled and highly trained individual can administer a polygraph test that will
produce accurate, not proof positive, results. However, my experience in this field, that only an individual who has been highly trained to control all of his emotions during the investigators questioning, can stand a chance to successfully defeat a polygraph test.
Are you guys portraying yourselves as Conservatives but in reality are more of the status quo swamp dwelling Republicans or just maybe are Liberals masquarding as Conservatives?
Speak the truth or at least stop slanting your stories away from actual facts.

Consider that the toxic waste DC establishment have conditioned themselves to beat a Polygraph, inject them with Sodium Pentothal or any drug that makes them completely susceptible to telling the truth.

President should polly everybody who he hired and everybody that is what they call a career civil servant. Plus everybody in any meeting should be check for recording gear. Then if possible fired and put in jail. This man and his team have been sh- – on long enough. About time he fires back. I hope the only liers caught is the New York Times.

Forget about the polygraph for white house staff, but what is stopping the president from lifting the security clearances of people like Clapper who are no longer employed by the government and have no right whatsoever to retain them, particularly in the light of their recent behaviour.

I think it is a disgrace to go behind the back of the President and try to run him down without facing him with the source of where the jnformation came from. I cannot remember an elected president in the past being treated like this one has been. I will never again vote for a democrat. I am tired of listening to the time wasted by the congress and senate not getting down to solving the countries problems. The status que has got to change ASAP. This is not the America that I remember going back 87 years. Al

Not a good idea for Pence to meet with Mueller. Why do that? There’s no evidence of any wrong doing. So why meet with an idiot like Mueller. There is NO WAY I’d meet with that corrupt moron for anything. He’s nuts. LET IT GO !!!!!!

If President Trump chooses to polygraph his staff, he has every right to do so. OBAMA polygraphed his staffing with out the cause to do so. President Trump should know what type of people he has working for him. He has believed in his staff, knoe it’s time his staff “Put their money where their mouth is.” Take the test and remove all doubt.

Polygraphing is standard for people holding a SCI security clearance. I had one every year or two, so IF the people working in the Whitehouse hold SCI clearances, they should receive a polygraph, the same as the military people get. For people without an SCI clearance then it would have no precedence for it!

This is exactly what the op-ed was designed to do. Cause a disturbance within the WH. No polygraph is necessary. Trump will catch the rats in many traps. They always come out to get the cheese. And President Trump has plenty of cheese. (Cash) Like a bounty on the head of a killer in the old days. I would suggest a hefty cash reward for any and all proven leakers!